


The Ocean We Left Behind

by JGleeBieGomez, LeeTheNerd (AnimeVamp4Life)



Category: Free!
Genre: Angst, Asexual Nanase Haruka, Co-Written, Fluff, M/M, Mer!Rin, Merman Matsuoka Rin, Merman Nanase Haruka, Merman Tachibana Makoto, Merman!AU, mer!Haru, mer!mako
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-28
Updated: 2015-05-23
Packaged: 2018-02-10 19:36:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2037396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JGleeBieGomez/pseuds/JGleeBieGomez, https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnimeVamp4Life/pseuds/LeeTheNerd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haruka and Makoto have known each other from birth, been there for each other when times got rough and there seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel, have seen the sides of each other that nobody has ever seen before. So it was inevitable that the two young mermen would fall irrevocably in love, even if it does take them a while to realise it.<br/>(mer!makoharu, reigisa, possible future rintori, rated m for future chapters)<br/>ON HOLD</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> AnimeVamp4Life - This story is written by both me and my best friend because we love those swiming homos so much. Enjoy!
> 
> JGleeBieGomez - You took the words right off of my keyboard. Yeah, gay swimmers ruined us so this is our revenge hehe. Enjoy :)

Cinnamon and apples; the same smell always lingered in the passing days of December. Delightfully filling the hearts of all who happened upon it. Not that many people noticed it: by now it had just become a smell that mingled in with the rest at this time of year. The supermarkets were stacked with shelves full of cinnamon and apple scented candles, so much so that they were sold even until the late days of January for those who were planning a year ahead.  
  
It rarely ever snowed in December, much to the chagrin of the townsfolk. They had grown so fond of Christmas for all of its festivities that brought everyone together, that they didn't quite mind the absence of some white fluff. Many people began to buy cans of fake snow to spray on their Christmas trees - it made them seem more authentic - and the children enjoyed being able to decorate the tree with those tiny white flakes. Besides, what's Christmas without a little bit of snow here and there?  
  
For as long as anyone could remember, Christmas was always a huge event: nearly everyone decorated their houses with bright lights and a blow up Santa with his reindeer, and if you weren't invited to a Christmas party, you were hosting one. Even the street lights were decorated with tinsel, which shined out when they were switched on during the night.  
  
Iwatobi University always held their annual Christmas Charity Event; this spanned for several days and it seemed every single person in the town attended at least once. You see, they raised money for the town hospital every year, and without their donations the hospital wouldn't be half as good as it is.  
  
Admittedly, many of the students that attended Iwatobi University helped out with the event in one way or another, which was a huge relief for the staff who would otherwise have to organise it by themselves and stress too much over making it a festive success. They trusted each and every student helping out to make it as great as they possibly can - they have not disappointed yet, and they do not plan on doing so anytime soon.  
  
When it came to what events and activities are set up, they are always decided fairly between the student organisers. There was always a small committee, no more than twenty on the team, who would take it upon themselves to neaten up the organisation of the annual event and decide which events would be held on which days at which times - there were some members of that committee every year who took the work to heart and got really into making it unforgettable.  
  
Rei Ryugazaki was one of the main members of this committee - actually, he was on almost every productive committee he could get his hands on. Being the very straightforward and calculating person that he was, made it easy for him to organise even large-scale events like these, and many people knew him as one of the founding brains of the University: it was people like Rei that gave the place its good reputation, after all.  
  
But even the great and mighty Rei Ryugazaki, with his red glasses and neat dark blue hair, had his weaknesses: namely a lively blonde that went by Nagisa Hazuki. The two of them made quite the show every time the blonde wanted his undivided attention. Rei would always push his red spectacles up with a huff whilst Nagisa whined and clung to his arm, begging him to go and do one thing or another.  
  
Although, they weren't the only ones.  
  
Makoto Tachibana wasn't naturally smart, but had managed to make his way into the University with hard work and determination, he had even declined when his wealthy friend had offered to pay his way in. That wealthy friend being his lifelong best friend Haruka Nanase, another extremely intelligent student.  
  
These two were even more peculiar, considering that they were complete polar opposites, down to the last detail. Haruka is about 5"9 with short, straight black hair and deep blue eyes; his serious expression gives away nothing and he always remains stoic and quiet, reserved in his own manner. Makoto on the other hand is about 6"0 with short, unruly light brown hair and kind green eyes; his constantly caring personality causes him to worry about his friends a lot, mainly Haruka, but he always sees the brighter side of everything - again, mainly with Haruka.  
  
There was something strangely soothing about Haruka that Makoto couldn't put his finger on. There were so many details and features he sees in and on the dark-haired boy - he couldn't choose a favourite, but if he had to, it would be the eyes that contain that lifetime of memories in their depths. He knows how silent he usually is vocally; however, to him, the freedom in his eyes express more than the rest of his body ever cares to. Maybe he was looking too far into things between himself and his best friend, and in more than a platonic, 'just friends' style, but he couldn't help himself. He knew there must be something screwed in wrong in his brain to make him believe he has a crush, an actual crush, on the young man he's spent most of his life with. He swore to only be his friend. Better to suffer through a hopefully short-term crush than destroy the greatest friendship both boys could ever have.  
  
They would talk - Haruka isn't completely mute and is able to have direct conversation - but most of the time, Makoto just leant back and watch the other write pages in his deep green-covered journal. In Makoto's eyes, he swears he always looks most content when writing in that journal. He always guessed Haruka needed a place - even if that includes the space on clean white paper - to vent his emotions, his true thoughts and feelings on many occurrences during his day, or week or months, or even year. He has left him to his privacy; he never wants to intrude on it and make him feel uncomfortable.  
  
However, he only allowed Haruka's escapism to venture so far: there is always a place where the line must be drawn.  
  
Haruka had an obsession, one that Makoto was pretty sure only occurred in people like Haruka and himself, it came almost naturally to them both after all, though his friend's interest took a turn for the more unhealthy. You see, Haruka had an obsession with water; not your run of the mill "drinks nothing but water" type, oh no, he had a _need_ to be in water, a.k.a the "I need to get in that pool" type.  
  
Out of every type of water though, the ocean was always his favourite. Something that Makoto was quite uncomfortable with but was willing to put up with as long is it made his best friend happy. And that wasn't the only thing he had to put up with: although Haruka was a wealthy and intelligent student, surely understanding how much education stands for nowadays, there was never a day that passed when he would make the both of them rush to Uni and almost miss their lectures.  
  
If it had been anyone else, they would leave Haruka to be late every morning, but they were life-long friends and Makoto was by far one of the most kind and considerate people in the whole town.  
  
On this particular morning, Makoto proceeded with his usual routine, _and_ casually took a few moments to pet the stray kitten he had affectionately nicknamed "Snow" for its peculiar white coat. He usually walked from his own house to Haruka's, where he lived alone, and let himself in with the key Haruka had specially made just for Makoto.  
  
Now this was where things got rather tedious: since Haruka had been gifted his own house by his parents, he had decided to spend some of the house funds on an indoor swimming pool. The expense didn't matter to Haruka nor his parents, it was how much time he took throughout the day to swim inside it.  
  
So to begin his mornings, Haruka Nanase liked to take a long swim in his pool.  
  
You can understand what kind of dilemma this caused...


	2. Chapter 2

Makoto's POV:  
  
It's once more the usual morning routine; to be honest, with excitement for the holidays building up, I still get tired and exhausted because of the routine I have to follow: I have to make sure I get to Haru's place with minutes to spare, while he's getting himself ready, before heading out with him to Uni. Sometimes he doesn't get dressed and all his things prepared until literally minutes before our first lecture starts. Then I start to question why I actually bother to wait for him and jeopardise my own punctuality and education, then I remember - Haru himself.  
  
Since we were young, even in our first few years of school, Christmas - or winter in general - was a time of the year where everything seemed relaxed and settled, poetic and soothing. Haru used to enjoy the snowy weather, on whatever rare occasion it was that we had it, and we would spend the afternoons outside in our gardens with the wonderful white stuff. Things have changed; we don't ever have snow anymore, we are more mature than back then - kind of - and Haru isn't as excited as I definitely am for the holidays to officially start. I have a feeling that Christmas will be something to remember this year...  
  
With my inside thoughts over and done with, I take the key out of my bag and open the front door. I used to knock and open, but I'm sure Haru can sense whenever I'm in the house. He always seems to know where to find me or where I am when I'm in his house. Sometimes I wonder if Haru has some kind of sixth sense... No that's just silly.  
  
I walk in, locking the door behind me and hear absolute silence; he better not still have himself under the covers. It's not like him to forget his Uni schedules. Well, there could be another reason, more likely in Haru's unique case, so I know where exactly to check now. If you ask me, it's a miracle that Haru's fair skin hasn't wrinkled up from his frequent free time in the water - it's more than just frequent, though. It's whenever he has what can be called an urge - not an interest, an urge - to jump in and let loose of his ways. He can either be challenging himself, racing in his beautiful freestyle - in my eyes, it's beautiful - or floating about without a care in his world. He must be completely satisfied in those moments alone... I'd love to watch, but then he wouldn't be alone and wouldn't be as free.  
  
"Haru-chan?" I called whilst I walked towards the back of the house.  
  
No answer. Not that it was a surprise.  
  
I came to the glass door and stopped, hesitating slightly as I felt bad about disturbing him: when he was in this room he lost track of time, but eventually I pulled it open.  
  
The first thing that met me was the smell of chlorine: it wasn't too strong, Haru wanted it to be as natural as possible. The second thing that met me was the small splashing sounds as his hands dipped down into the water with each stroke.  
  
"Haru-chan?" I called once more.  
  
Piercing blue eyes rose from the water, boring into me with an intensity I was all too familiar with. He dived back under and I watched his wavering form as it glided towards me where I stood at the end of the pool.  
  
I just watched, waiting for him to rise again.  
  
"Haru-chan?" I called for the third time and that's when he emerged, hands holding onto the edge, eyes looking up and his stare shooting straight into my own eyes.  
  
"Needed something?" He asked with that low voice he tends to use in the mornings, even after his swimming session.  
  
"It's time to go." I sighed. "We're going to be late."  
  
I heard an exasperated groan from Haru as he lifted himself to sit on the edge. He had a look of boredom and disappointment as his eyes moved down to stare across the depths of his pool.  
  
Anyone wold be riveted as the water trickled across his glistening skin; it was such a beautiful sight that I couldn't help but find myself staring.  
  
Haru shook his head and sprayed little droplets across the floor and back into the water, "You always stare," he murmured.  
  
Catching myself before I said anything embarrassing, I cleared my throat and held out a hand as I leant down to him. It was an unspoken acknowledgement between the both of us. "But I'm the only one that gets to see Haru-chan like this."  
  
He sighed again and ran a final hand over the place where his legs should have been, the place that was slick with waterproof scales that reflected the most beautiful colours. Yes, the only people that get to see this sight is Haru and I: the gentle quiver of his translucent tail fin as he began to change back, and the way his royal blue scales receded into his pale white skin.  
  
His matching blue eyes caught mine over his shoulder and he took my hand gratefully, staggering slightly as he got to his feet and gained his balance.  
  
"Drop the -chan." He responded; it wasn't the first time I heard it and I know well it won't be the last. It sounds better - to me, at least.  
  
"Sorry." I muttered, cleared my throat and smiled. "Now get some clothes on. We have to leave as soon as possible."  
  
He simply rolled his eyes and took slow steps away. I kept up behind him as we walked back through the house and waited at the bottom of the staircase as he quickly made his way to his room to get himself ready. I always wait downstairs - it's the privacy thing, and it's his house. So I tried resolutely not to stare at his surprisingly gorgeous, naked form as he ascended the steps.  
  
Even if he is my best friend, I have to admit, the few times that I had seen him naked, it was definitely a sight to behold. His indifferent manner makes him all the more intriguing, so much so that he often gets invited out dates, by both men and women alike.  
  
But Haruka had only dated once before, it was when we were both about fifteen years old: he told me a girl had asked him out to go shopping because she wanted to know him better, and Haruka isn't completely antisocial so he accepted. This went on for a few weeks, they would go out to different places at least once a week and it seemed like Haru genuinely enjoyed it. Soon he was faced with a difficult decision however, when the girl wanted their friendship to mean more.  
  
"Besides Makoto, she is the only person I have ever felt close to." he had told me. But I also knew that Haruka was asexual, and if they became lovers, he would never be able to give her the intimacy that she truly wanted. It was surely a tricky situation.  
  
Months passed after Haruka had said yes, and I found a girl of my own: she was quite short with mousy brown hair that she liked to tie with a black bow, and warm hazel eyes. She lived quite far away so we only ever met when she was able. Eventually I realised that Haruka had never introduced me to his girlfriend, and I had ever introduced him to mine.  
  
So I decided we'd do it one at a time, and asked Haruka to bring her to his house. I remember that he seemed a little bit unsure about the idea, and to be honest I was a quite nervous too, and at the time I couldn't figure out why.  
  
So I let myself in to his house to wait for him to pick her up from the train station. Looking back on it now I can understand why the butterflies were rapidly flitting about my stomach, maybe I had some kind of sixth sense for it.  
  
I was lounging over the sofa when I finally heard the opening of the front door. I propped myself up properly and stood up to greet them. Haruka's voice was muffled and heard the shuffling of shoes on the doormat, "I'm sure you'll like him." he said as they neared the room.  
  
It pains me to remember the emotions that coursed through me when they rounded that corner. First came disbelief: her hand was clutching his like it was the most natural thing in the world. Second came betrayal: how could she do this to Haruka, and to me! Her kind brown eyes froze when they landed on my form, and even her hair was tied differently, as if doing that would make a difference. Finally anger settled in the pit of my stomach, replacing the nervous butterflies with a swarm of shrieking wasps, stingers at the ready: this girl, this stupid person, had wormed her way into Haruka's life, so much that he felt _close_ to her, just to pull off a stunt like this and have it all come crashing down.  
  
The innocent look on Haruka's face made me want to cry; he hasn't yet realised what had just unfurled, and for a moment I didn't think I had the heart to tell him. Well, until _she_  spoke up that is, "Makoto?!" she gasped out, and Haruka's eyes flickered from her face to mine before confusion settled.  
  
The wasps returned. "I'm going to give you two minutes to explain yourself before I do something I might regret later." I seethed.  
  
Shock flickered in those blue eyes of his, and his "girlfriend" gulped with the new realisation of exactly what she had done.  
  
"It wasn't supposed to be like this, I swear!" She cried suddenly as she sank to her knees.  
  
Feeling the anger bubbling up even more inside me, I clenched my fists to try and gain some control. This day would break a part of Haruka, there was no doubt about it, and _she_  would be the one I would blame for it; he had enough problems as it was! Why couldn't she have just left us both alone?!  
  
With a suprising slap of reality to the face, I realised that this was the first time I had ever felt this angry towards someone since... No, I wasn't about to remember something as dreadful as that.  
  
"It was just Haru until I met you, I p-promise," she began to sob, "and I never had any intentions of hurting either of you. I had no idea that you were both best friends! But I wanted more in a relationship than just holding hands!"  
  
I was really having to hold myself back now, and I think Haruka was just starting to realise what was happening, as his face flickered with several sets of emotions.  
  
"When I found out that Haruka was asexual I felt really disappointed, and it was around the time that I met you. So I thought I could get away with trying elsewhere, but I didn't want to hurt Haruka so I didn't break it off," she hiccupped, "You were too nice, Makoto! I couldn't help but like you, and when you allowed things like kisses and public displays of affection, I couldn't keep away!"  
  
I strode quickly towards her as my insides blazed and my heart clenched for Haruka. She could have ruined everything with her idiocy and selfishness. The wounded look on Haruka's face spurred me on even further and I yanked her to her feet by her arm, "Get out!" I hissed.  
  
Wide, tear-brimmed eyes stared up at me, "P-please!" she sobbed grossly.  
  
I was so close to losing it; so close that my heartbeat was pumping erratically in my ears and red was starting to cloud my vision. I would have lost it, I realised, if a gentle hand on my shoulder handn't dissolved my anger.  
  
"Makoto," he said steadily, "If it's you, then I don't mind."  
  
Calm eyes bore into me, relaxing the surging rage inside, and in that moment I swear my heart skipped a beat.  
  
Although it seems very unlikely for these turn of events to have a good side at all; I believe that was what blossomed a new side of my feelings for Haru, even if it was unnoticeable at the time...  
  
But now wasn't the time to dwell on past mistakes. Haruka was ready to go.  
  
Uni was pretty much the same as any day, nothing that was all too interesting. Although Nagisa did try to tickle Rei in the middle of the libary, and you can imagine how much trouble that got them into.  
  
After Uni, Haru and I went Christmas shopping. Yes, I know, we shouldn't wait until days before, but Haru had a breakthrough with one of his studies and my little sister got stuck in her "other form", so I took responsibility of her this time.  
  
Haru, as usual was sidetracked by the mackerel, his favourite food, that was half price. It took me ages to finally pry him away.  
  
When I did, we got down to doing some real shopping; granted, there wasn't that many things left to choose from but there were some really lovely little bits and pieces that I was sure my family would like.  
  
Haru didn't often see his parents, since they were always away on business trips or too busy with work. The only time they really got to see each other was at Christmas, so I made sure Haru would pick wonderful presents for them both.  
  
I already had a christmas present for him, but I left him to browse never the less whilst I wandered the store.  
  
"Hey, Makoto!" came a bubbly voice, that was almost immediately followed by an exuberant blonde.  
  
"Nagisa," I smiled fondly, "Late Christmas shopping too?"  
  
He winced and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "Yeah, I can't find a good present for Rei-chan!' he whined.  
  
Ah, those two were always worrying about each other, and they didn't really try to hide how they felt. It was a mystery how they were so oblivious to the other's feelings.  
  
"Well that's easy!" I grinned, "You should make something for him!"  
  
His whole face lit up at the idea, "Yeah that's right!"  
  
"Just think of something you're really good at, or maybe you could follow an online tutorial." I offered helpfully.  
  
He was bouncing with giddiness as he quickly engulfed me in a tight hug before hurrying away.  
  
I shook my head with a smile, there's that same old Nagisa.  
  
"Makoto."  
  
I turned to find that Haruka had already paid for the gifts and was carrying two bags. One filled with something that looked suspiciously like the packets of mackerel we'd seen on the way in.  
  
"I already have wrapping paper at my house, so let's get going."  
  
I grabbed one of the bags from his hands and proceeded to lead the way back to the bus stop just outside the shop.  
  
It was chilly outside and unfortunately rather windy, so by the time we were safe and sound behind the door of my home we looked completely disheveled.   
  
"Nanase-kun! What a nice surprise!"  
  
"It's so nice to see you Haruka-kun."  
  
"What?! Haru-chan is here?"  
  
"Haru-chan!"  
  
My mum and dad, who stood at the door to the kitchen, greeted Haru whilst the twins called for him from the other room.  
  
"Come on, I think Ran and Ren really want to see you." I said, tugging his hand.  
  
They were propped up with their elbows on the edge of our large bath, small tails wriggling behind them in glee. Ran was the first to speak, "It's been too long Haru-chan!" she whined.  
  
"Yeah! You should come and visit more often." Ren said, mimicking the tone of his twin.  
  
I chuckled at their childish antics, though it was surprising that they took such a liking to Haru, considering how quiet and indifferent he can come off as. But it seems that the liking for Haru runs in the family; even my mum and dad treat him as if he were their son.  
  
After wrapping the presents in the the bathroom, so that we could talk with the twins, I took Haru to my bedroom to play video games, much to their disappointment.   
  
We were just about to climb the stairs when my dad approached Haru , "I know it must be such a bother for me to ask this of you every time, but do you think you could... Help again. Please. It's been too long."  
  
I wanted to sigh, "Dad you can't keep-"  
  
"Makoto."  
  
Blue eyes interrupted me and he squeezed my hand reassuringly, "Haru you can't keep doing this! I know it puts a strain on you!" I pleaded. He simply lifted the corners of his mouth into a small, but Haruka-like, smile.  
  
"Which one?" he asked gently.  
  
"Ren this time."  
  
I watched as he disappeared back into the bathroom, Ran emerging moments later.  
  
Even she knew what was going on, but Haru felt uncomfortable when he had an audience so she had to leave her brother for now.  
  
It was always like this, almost a never-ending cycle that I had to watch every single time: one of the twins would get "stuck" and Haru would help them. Sure, it sounds simple enough. But what person do you know that can revert a mermaid or merman back to their human form? It requires a lot of energy, and I mean a lot. As well as skill and a special ability that only certain bloodlines of merfolk possess.  
  
"Haru-chan!"  
  
My head snapped up and within an instant I was rushing into the bathroom.  
  
Ren was crying and panicking as Haru, who had completed the ritual, lay seemingly unconscious on the floor, panting harshly from exertion.  
  
My breath was stuck in my throat, even as I hauled him up into the bridal position within my arms. I could feel my heart pumping, hear it in my ears, as I rushed up the stairs to place him on my bed.  
  
I could faintly hear my parents talking loudly outside my closed bedroom door, not that I really knew if they were talking to me or to each other. All that mattered was the rise and fall of his chest, the light puffs of air escaping from between his lips, and if I focused hard enough I could see that his breathing was becoming less laboured.  
  
"This is the second time Haruka." I murmured as I grasped his hand, "You can't keep doing this to me; to yourself."   
  
I rest my forehead against the bed and let out a ragged breath. He was so reckless: risking his life for someone he wasn't even related to. It made me so frustrated, torn between wanting Ran or Ren to be themselves again, and wanting to keep him safe.  
  
A gentle squeeze to my hand brought me back to the present.  
  
I glanced up at his face, "Mako." he breathed out. It was so quiet that I barely heard it. But it brought a smile to my face and relief to my worried mind.  
  
He would be okay in the morning, I decided finally. So I got us both into a pair of my sweatpants each and settled us both into bed.  
  
Christmas wasn't going to plan so far, though I had a feeling things would be looking up pretty soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Haruka's P.O.V:

I don't remember much of the ritual I performed on Ren; the memories were hazy and unpleasant. Instead, I focused on my art project that I had been given to complete over the Christmas break. Splashes of blue, grey, and black were splattered around the cloth-covered spare room upstairs - the proof of my hard work.

In the middle of the room stood my soon-to-be masterpiece; a giant canvas that took up at least a third of the room's length. Makoto would probably scold me for my choice of model, but I couldn't help it. I couldn't get the image out of my head; I knew what I wanted to paint from the start.

After spending at least a quarter of the day swimming, as I do everyday, I had decided to work on it a little more. There was something strangely peaceful about having complete control over the image on the canvas - you could turn it into absolutely anything you desired, whether it was still life or a complete work of fiction, it didn't matter - art is truly beautiful. Of course it could never compare to the feel of water gliding against my skin or over my scales, but it was definitely second in line.

The ringing of my dormant mobile brought me out of my paint-induced stupor.

"Hello?" I answered after cleaning my hands on a piece of clean cloth.

"Haru-chan, would you like to spend Christmas with us tomorrow? I heard that your parents will be home a day late." Ah, yes. My parents had been given instructions to call Makoto concerning important affairs, because apparently I'm too preoccupied by the pool to answer the phone. Not that it wasn't the truth, I just didn't like that my parents barely ever spoke to me.

"What time do you want me there by?" I asked.

"Oh, um, is 10 o'clock good for you?"

"That's fine. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Wait! Wait!" I put the phone back to my ear. "Can I come and see you today?"

I made a small noise of amusement, "Did you even need to ask?"

He chuckled in relief on the other end. "Okay, I'll only be a little while."

I clicked the "End Call" button and placed the phone back on the side table by the door. Maybe it would be best to clean up before he got here; I didn't want him to see the painting just yet.

After I'd carefully tidied the room and locked the door, I noticed that I had paint splashes from my hands all the way up to the biceps and all over my chest and thighs, so I made my way to the bathroom to wash the splatters from my skin before stripping off my dirty clothes in favor of some new clean ones.

It was then that I heard the front door close: an indicator that Makoto had arrived.

"Haru-chan?" He called as his heavy footsteps plodded to the bottom of the stairs. His hair was disheveled and his clothes were soaked through, "It started pouring down before I could get here, do you still have those clothes of mine?"

I shook my head at how air-headed he could be sometimes, I bet he didn't even check to see if it was going to rain, "No," I told him. "You wore them home last time you slept here."

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "I guess I'll have to wait for my clothes to dry then."

I felt my heart flutter a little when I realised Mako would have to walk around the house in his underwear, well that is, if they weren't wet too. Then an idea struck me. "Take your clothes off and leave them on the radiator. I'll meet you at the pool."

"Ah, but Haru-"

I ignored his protests and began to lose each item of my clothing on the way to the back of the house: first it was my freshly adorned t-shirt, then my baggy sweatpants, and as I approached the door I tossed away my boxers too. There was no doubt that Makoto would pick them up anyway.

I enjoyed the freedom that came with switching back to my natural form. It was a feeling like no other, and as I let the change take over me when I dived in, all of my worries melted away.

As much as Makoto disliked changing, I knew he would join me without any further prompting; he enjoyed the freedom too, even though he would completely deny it if you asked. He doesn't need to confirm it, because I can see through his relaxed body language that he is almost identical to me. He can't resist feeling that freedom.

So as his body glided through the air, breaching the surface as gracefully as I had expected, it was obvious that he felt the water gently soothe the stress from his taut muscles. Immersing myself in the water, I allowed myself to see his deep green eyes, piercing through the water as he adjusted to the familiar feel of liquid passing over the gills either side of his neck.

I could stay like this all day, just watching him watching me, and I would have done if his beaming grin hadn't shaken me from my trance. With a flick of his large, whale-like tail, he was propelling and twirling towards me. I felt his touch sooner than I saw it.

And so, we played. Just like dolphins or whales would play in the oceans, because that's what we are, aren't we? Marine life, so to speak.

I remember when we were young: our school took us on a trip to the aquarium. Even back then, I had a deep affiliation with the water, and I wanted nothing more than to swim beside those fish. Though, the need was easy to bottle up when it came to the smaller tanks.

The bigger tanks however, caused me a huge problem.

"Mako," I had said, tugging on his hand when the class stood to watch the sea lions, "Look."

My small hand pointed to a large tank that curved around the walkway, it was a deep blue and was filled with very few plants and corals. The sign that showed information about the tank clearly said, "Dolphins".

The worried look that had passed over Makoto's face did not go unnoticed and I squeezed his hand to reassure him that I was okay, I wasn't going to try it this time. For now anyway; there were no dolphins in sight.

I watched the sun's rays glitter and waver through the water from the surface far above us, and we stood in a comfortable silence as we watched a tiny dead fish flutter to the sand. Suddenly, with lightning fast movements, two dolphins swam out to gobble up the little fish. They were beautiful. Their skin glistened and their bodies glided effortlessly through the watery depths of the enormous tank.

But the one on the left was faster, and it snatched up its meal with its long pointed jaws, and swallowed it all in one go. The other dolphin was left looking rather dejected as it swam close to the glass.

At first it seemed like it would just swim on by, but a change of heart seemed to befall it and the elegant beast turned and swam back to where Mako and I stood, hand-in-hand outside the glass.  
I gripped his hand harder and lurched forward to press the palm of my other hand flat against the cool surface.

The dolphin did not look scared by my sudden action - in fact, it rather welcomed it. If I remember right, we had a wonderful time entertaining the lone dolphin; none of the other dolphins came to greet us.

Then came the time to leave.

I had stubbornly refused to leave my new friend behind, and Makoto had panicked to reassure the teacher that I was "just being silly" and that I "really liked dolphins". I don't see why he reacted that way, maybe he thought I was going to start saying more than was necessary.

Eventually, Makoto had promised to swim with me for a whole day if I agreed to leave; that was what finally persuaded me to go.

Seeing him like this now, in the form that we had swam in the whole of that next day, I felt the familiar warmth spread through my body: the warmth that had lead me to realise my feelings for Makoto ran far further than they should.

"Swim with me." I mouthed as we circled each other.

His answering smile was more than enough, and it's safe to say that my Christmas Eve was well spent.


	4. Chapter 4

As Christmas came, was celebrated and passed along, all of the buzz was dying down and the streets were starting to regain their former beauty; simplistic and plain. Sure, the holidays were a joyous time but Christmas was now two days ago. As soon as the trees were thrown away and the decorations were removed, the new spark of excitement spread around like wildfire over the next upcoming event: New Year.

Whilst it was a celebratory occasion for the adult population of the town, the younger generations were more focused on their plans for the next occasion already. Some held parties, others would just spend the night with their families - however, the majority of them were making arrangements to head out to festivities. Not as extravagant as those held for Christmas, they wouldn't be as popular among everyone but it was still a night out with friends and loved ones.

One annual New Year event was the fireworks festival, which despite the weak attendance, was the most attended at New Year's Eve. It was usually a social gathering area, held in an open field where people would rest on the freshly cut grass; it resembled a late night picnic with that festive vibe. As midnight struck, the crowd-winning show would hit its climax, following a lightened lead-up minutes before. Many attendees would call the festival romantic, and one of which was a certain Iwatobi University student.

Makoto had attended on odd years, his last being almost two years ago, but it was never with anyone who wasn't of blood relation. He often saw how couples surrounding him would hold each other close, hands entwining together and soft whispers being exchanged, and he would admire their unity as the sprinkling of bright colourful explosions filled up the otherwise dull navy sky. Fireworks were registered as a prop in romance, signifying the love between two people. He knew everyone had their beliefs and explanations for love and this was one of his: firework-filled nights were ones to be shared with the love of your life.

Just days before New Year, he decided to introduce the festival's happenings to the one person he could not shake out of his head: his best friend Haruka. After the beauty of Christmas night, it became less distinctive that there was a strong force between the two of them. Makoto treasured his present dearly, having not taken it off since that night. It was just something he still couldn't believe he was given, and to add to the still fresh shock, it was a present from Haru. _His_ Haru.

It was all that clouded his thoughts as he made his way over to his house; so much so, he almost ignored the little kitten he never missed the opportunity to talk to.

Once he realised, he stepped back a few paces and knelt down, feeling the unnoticeable joy from Snow. He gently tickled under its chin and chuckled as he heard the barely audible purr he enjoyed causing.

"There's a sweet kitty-cat." He cooed, giving the kitten one last stroke on its back before standing up straight. "I have to go but I'll see you again later or tomorrow. Okay?"

He just needed to hear one last meow from his favourite feline before feeling free to leave and continue with his short journey to Haruka's house. He turned up at the front door and knowing well how he was trusted to enter whenever he felt the appropriate need to, he pulled out the spare key from his pocket and unlocked the door.

After walking in and locking the door again behind him, Makoto looked around - despite being in the dwelling so often, every entrance felt new to him. He took a moment to think of where Haruka could be at that time in the morning. It was a decision between checking two areas in the house: the master bedroom, where he preferred to sleep hours into the morning time; and the indoor pool, where he had found him spending a great portion of his waking hours.

He understood his liking to the subject but he still believed it was out of the ordinary to spend much of the day swimming and feeling truly one with the water. Then again, he couldn't talk; he wasn't Haru. He didn't know what it was like to him, but he wouldn't question it as he would favour to keep his friend content with what he found a suitable activity instead of argue over it. He wasn't the type.

Judging from where he found him before, he walked through to the swimming pool. He managed to keep himself silent, as to not disturb his friend when he saw the smooth gentle ripples in the water. It wasn't anything rushed or self-competitive; it was a glide along the liquid. Makoto sat a few steps away from the edge, trying to keep himself away from the floor's perimeter with minute puddles created prior his arrival. He watched on from where he sat to see the ripples change direction: they were spreading away and disappearing opposite his placement. He knew Haruka noticed him as his head lifted out of the water. He rested his arms on the side, his chin resting atop.

Makoto stood and walked forward. "Sorry for interrupting you, Haru. I didn't mean to."

He sighed, closing his eyes. "Honestly, not a problem." He spoke and jumped up, sitting on the edge.

As always, he would take in the beauty of his own pool. His sanctuary, in a way, where he was welcome to shed himself of anything weighing on his mind. Despite a personal summary, it would also be the period he would wait for his tail to transform back into his two separate legs. The other boy stood there, eyes staring at how the reflective scales that created Haruka's tail could shine how they did. It was divine, as it wasn't a sight commonly found by others. It just made him feel blessed to have a friend like Haruka; someone down to earth he could be himself with. His hand came up to fiddle with his necklace absentmindedly.

After both boys' moments of self-reflection, Hauka turned and attempted standing up straight as he was able to hours before. Instinctively, Makoto offered his hand, fearing the safety of his friend's struggling around puddled ground. With no hesitation, he took the offered hand and his other and fought to stand again. Once he was on his feet firmly, standing straight, he let go of one hand and kept hold of the other.

"You shouldn't shift as often as you do Haru, it makes the transition more difficult."

The only response he got was a small huff, clearly indicating that his advice was _definitely_ _not appreciated_. That was one of the more frustrating things about Haru - he often disregarded anything to do with his own well-being. Makoto decided it wasn't worth fighting over.

"Okay, okay, let's just get you dressed so we can get going, sound good?"

This time Haru nodded, pleasantly relieved that Makoto was ready to drop the subject this time.

~

They were back in the main part of the house and Makoto was picking out something appropriate from Haru's wardrobe, "I've brought some of my clothes over this time, I hope you don't mind." he called over his shoulder inbetween shuffling hangers.

"It's fine."

Makoto pulled out a grey and black checkered button-up, "Wear this with your black jeans Haru." He said as he pulled out the hanger and threw the shirt onto the bed. He tried not to stare at his friend who was parading around in boxers but it was hard not to sneak a glance here and there: Haru had incredibly toned muscles, and the movement of pulling on the shirt sent a delicious ripple through them.

_Keep your eyes to yourself Makoto,_ the brunette thought with a little shake of his head. It was hard to keep his eyes off of Haru lately, he was really pushing himself more when it came to swimming; Makoto suspected it might have something to do with being ready to swim in the ocean when spring finally rolled around.

When Haru was finally dressed they both slipped on their shoes and jackets at the door and made their way out into the chilly December air. Makoto realised neither of them had brought gloves, his hands were beginning to tingle from the cold. He glanced over and saw that Haru already had his hands shoved inside his jacket pockets, but when he looked at his own jacket he saw no pockets for him to warm his hands in. He sighed and tried to pull his sleeves over his hands.

"Makoto." Warm fingertips wormed their into his left sleeve to grasp his wrist. It startled him and he looked up when Haru pulled him closer, "Share my pocket, at least you'll only have one cold hand then."

Despite the icy pin-pricks the wind made in his skin, he was sure a blush had coloured his cheeks from the warmth that he now felt there. It was a warmth that he felt creep into his chest too, one that left him smiling.

"Thank you." he murmured, and Haru guided his hand into the pocket.

They walked along in silence after that, enjoying the few sets of Christmas lights still left hanging as they walked closer to the busier streets. It was rare, moments like these, not filled with words left unsaid but the words they didn't need to say, for they both knew that promises of forever should never be spoken. Forever was a long time, time that would slip away in a blink of an eye with just the two of them. It made Makoto think of snow globes, trapped in a chilly winter - much like this New Year's - for eternity. He thought if Haru was there, he wouldn't quite mind forever.

Their fingers were comfortably warm, nestled between each other. It occurred to Makoto that maybe people would see them as lovers. They certainly looked the part - with their interwoven fingers hidden in plain sight. Haru didn't seem care at all, not that he did much of that when it came to strangers; he would often come off as blunt and uncaring to people that didn't know him. But the downward twitch of his mouth, only seen by Makoto in the steadily increasing crowd, told a different story. Makoto wanted to smile at the way the slight squeeze of his fingers around Haru's was enough to put him at ease, he dropped the tension building in his shoulders and focused on the warmth in is pocket. _Makoto's warmth._

"Mako-chan! Haru-chan!" came a shout from between the throngs of people. A blond head bounced forward, followed by a less energetic head of blue until Nagisa's face popped into view. He dragged Rei until they were close enough to the two mermen before he attempted speaking again, "I didn't know you were coming this year!" he said to Haru.

Makoto chuckled at the clear happiness on the shorter boy's face, "I thought it would be nice if Haru came with me, we're going to meet up with my family," he replied.

"Nagisa-kun, I'm sure I heard that man shout at us back there. I think you bumped into him." Rei said awkwardly. Nagisa simply smiled and reached up to bop him on the nose with his index finger, "Don't worry so much Rei-chan, have some fun!"

Rei was clearly getting flustered and uncomfortable with the situation so Makoto quickly intervened, "Why don't you come with us?" he asked them both. It did the trick: Rei calmed down enough to nod and Nagisa enthusiastically agreed to come too. There was never a dull moment when those two were around but it always fell on Makoto to be the one to make sure things stayed friendly, Nagisa had a tendency to annoy Rei who often became flustered over simple things.

~

The festival was a great hit, nearly everybody in the small town of Iwatobi turned up to enjoy the celebrations. Makoto's family had stayed with them for a while before his mum assured him that he would be fine going off with his friends. "You're only this age once," she'd teased.

So for a while they hit the streets on their own: Nagisa bought nearly every different type of sweet food available, Rei marvelled over the beauty of some of the hand-crafted goods, Haruka stayed silent but evidently happy as he watched the evening unravel, whilst Makoto watched over everyone with kind eyes and a giddy smile.

It wasn't often that his closest friends were so open, it made him happy to see such expressions on their faces - especially Haru's. His lips were turned upwards in the easiest of smiles, those simple ones that you find sneaking onto your face when you don't even know it. Makoto was glad he'd brought him along instead of leaving him alone to do whatever it is he normally did on New Year's Eve.

But the night was quickly drawing to a close, 12 o'clock looming ever closer, and Makoto had plans for the end of the festival. "Hey Nagisa, Rei," he called as they walked towards the viewing area for the fireworks display, "Haru and I are going to watch the fireworks from his house."

"Aw!" Nagisa whined. Rei simply smiled and offered a quiet, "Happy New Year."

~

The streets were deserted away from the festival, making it seem almost eerie if it weren't for the warm glow of lights and lanterns outside every other house. Haruka had grabbed Makoto's hand again and pulled it into his own pocket, pointedly looking anywhere but Makoto when he murmured a grateful, "Thank you."

When they reached Haru's house a small cheer could be heard in the distance. "Quickly, it sounds like it's almost time," Makoto urged.

"What are we doing?" Haru questioned as he was pulled into the house and up the stairs.

"I thought that was obvious," he chuckled when they reached the door to Haru's room. "We're going to the roof."

On the ceiling in the hallway was a hatch to the loft. It was mostly full of Haru's old paintings that he didn't want to hang up, but occasionally the two boys would spent the day up there or at night they would climb out of the window there and onto the almost-flat roof. _Just like old times,_ Makoto wanted to say.

It took both of them to yank the hatch open; the ladder was easier to pull down.

The loft was more or less the same as the last time Makoto had seen it, with the exception of a few added paintings. Sometimes Makoto would dream of this loft, of a chilly night they spent huddled in blankets sipping hot chocolate and talking about everything and anything. He had thought of it as a silly dream a first, but after the third time he looked forward to the meaningless conversation they would have, with simple smiles and warm laughter that pushed away the cold.

Makoto thought, as he unlatched the window, that being with Haru was much like watching the seasons change: it was a slow and gradual process but as each season eased its way in, there was something new to experience. He felt like the longer he knew Haru, the more Haru showed him.

The icy air nipped at his fingertips as he opened the window up all the way. In the brief time inside, his skin had got used to the warm, the sensation of cold seeping into his skin was unpleasant to say the least.

"You can borrow my pocket again." Haru uttered, as if he'd read his mind. But even with his _abilities_ Makoto knew that reading minds was not something he was able to do.

They climbed awkwardly, with their long limbs, through the not-very-big window until they were both able to scramble from their hands and knees into a sitting position facing the front of the house.

Out there were the lights of the festival, accompanied by the faint noise of the crowd in the distance. Haruka's house wasn't far from where the festival was being held, but it was far enough that when the fireworks start the view would be perfect. That had been part of Makoto's plan, the other part came in the form of a small box in his back trouser pocket. Speaking of - he discreetly removed it from his pocket as they shuffled into comfortable positions, he didn't want to squish it after all.

"Why did you want to see it from here?" Haru asked, and the faint cheering in the distance began again.

Makoto turned the box around in his hand, "I know how much you dislike crowds, and I don't particularly like how loud fireworks are." he replied with a shrug.

There was a pause as the countdown began in the distance. _10_

"But those weren't the only reasons." he whispered, voice just above the wind. It was then that he moved the small box in front of him. _9_

Haruka's eyes zeroed in on it almost immediately, and if the small stutter in his breath was anything to go by, he knew exactly what was inside. He'd let his guard down, or the wall he'd built his emotions behind, but either way there was a distinct lack of restraint and his eyes told of everything he was feeling. _8_

"I wanted to-" he took a deep breath to steady himself, "I wanted to give this to you as soon as possible." It was hard to speak, the words getting caught in his throat among the fluttering of butterfly wings. _7_

Truth be told, he'd almost had to pay extra to have it made at such short notice, and so close to New Year's Eve too, but once he'd explained exactly what he wanted to the shopkeeper his extra cash was waved off with a chuckle and a mumbled comment about "young love".

Makoto held out the box in the palm of his hand, the teal ribbon glinting in the moonlight. The box was deep blue in colour, _like Haru's eyes._ Said merman slowly took it from his outstretched hand and examined it before even attempting to untie the ribbon. _6_

"I've thought about this every day." Makoto chimed in as the ribbon finally fell to the roof tiles.

Haru was silent when the lid came off. It didn't even look like he was breathing. If he wasn't so nervous Makoto would have taken this moment to enjoy the look of wonder adorning his features. But his stomach was twisting in knots, churning like a storm on open seas. _5_

Apparently that was for nought though, for when Haru looked up, his finger pulling the chain from the box, Makoto could have sworn there were almost tears in his eyes - they were the most expressive he'd ever seen them. _4_

"Mako." his voice barely carried over the silence.

He didn't need to say anything more, the words were spoken through his eyes. Makoto hooked his finger under the chain and brought it back to unclasp it. His hands were shaking slightly when he leaned forward; his hands met at the back of Haru's neck, the metal and the glass pendant resting against his skin. _3_

Now he knew how Haruka must have felt, heart racing, palms sweating. It sounded cliche to Makoto but there was no other way to describe it, he was feeling kind of light-headed too. He leaned forwards more to rest his head on Haruka's shoulder as he clasped the chain together behind him. _2_

"Thank you." Haru whispered. His breath ghosted over the shell of Makoto's ear, making him shiver.

He leaned backwards slowly, only enough so that he could see how well his scale looked against Haru's pale skin. It was oddly endearing yet heartwarming, and Makoto brought his hand up to rest against his own necklace. _1_

Suddenly there were hands either side of his face, oddly warm against his cold skin. He was barely able to glimpse those blue eyes before a pair of lips descended on his own. Shock was the first thing that registered, then a blooming warmth that started in his chest and spread so that his hands were now grabbing onto Haru's hips, as if he would disappear should he let go.

Their only audience was the moon as they pressed closer, feeling each other, the way their bodies fitted perfectly against one another. Makoto was elated, this was _it_ , this was their _moment!_ After so long of loving and lusting after this beautiful and truly magnificent man, he was finally able to feel the soft caress of his lips and _god_ it felt _amazing._

The bang of the first firework startled them apart, eyes wide like deer in headlights. Surprisingly, Haru was the first to laugh, then Makoto followed, until they were resting against each other, chuckles dying out as the fireworks scattered across the dark sky.

"Thank you." Haruka said for the last time that night, and this time they weren't sharing a pocket for warmth, but rather a roof out of all things, for the sake of being together, _finally_.


	5. Chapter 5

Realistically, he had always thought that it could never be a possibility, but here they were. What they were doing wasn't anything out of the ordinary, shopping for groceries was a mundane task which usually grated on Haruka's nerves - it was the way they were going about the whole 'new relationship level' thing. He was quite a blunt person, as many people had pointed out, so unsurprisingly he had grasped Makoto's hand as they entered the supermarket, much to his boyfriend's protests.

They were in the 'frozens' isle when Haru began to get bored. If it were up to him they wouldn't be wasting time buying meats and vegetables, mackerel was all he needed. But Makoto had insisted that it wasn't healthy to eat mackerel and rice all of the time, he still allowed some mackerel but not nearly as much as Haru would have liked. This was normal, the friendly bickering over Haru's favourite fish, and something that definitely wouldn't let up just because they had progressed in their relationship.

When they reached the checkout Makoto immediately spotted Nagisa on duty at one of the tills, so they joined the small line. He looked a bit worn down from work but otherwise still his bubbly self.

"Oh, Haru-chan, Mako-chan!" he grinned when we reached the front of the queue, "The fireworks were great last night, weren't they?"

Haru didn't miss the way he subtly eyed their joined hands and the way his grin widened infinitesimally , "They really were." Makoto smiled, piling some of the first items on to the belt. The blond's mood had heightened so obviously that he was surprised Makoto didn't notice. Nagisa even managed to get a wink in when he wasn't looking, to which Haru responded with an eye-roll.

He was sure the blond would point it out at some point, although, knowing Nagisa it was likely he would wait to embarrass them later on by choosing the most awkward time to say it. To say he was not looking forward to it would be an understatement.

His hand was getting warmer now, almost uncomfortably so, but he didn't let go. Instead he watched as his two friends chatted animatedly, the word 'penguin' being dropped in their somewhere. It gave Haru a little time to think, he'd spent every other moment focused on Makoto so it was about time he had a good long think about what had transpired a week before.

They'd spent the night at Haru's house, bundled under a pile of blankets on the bed, sometimes sharing lazy kisses. It was peaceful, but he was so overwhelmed by this new side of their relationship that he hadn't been able to stop and think about what this meant for them both.

It was there in the brightly-lit supermarket that Haru realised something. Nothing had to change. Here they were, just like the previous times they needed groceries - bickering over mackerel, buying their favourite ice-lollies that they liked to share, chatting idly to Nagisa at the till. Nothing had changed. It made his heart swell with joy.

~

"Do you know where my phone is Ren?"

"You left it in the kitchen I think."

Makoto was collecting up his things to go to Haru's house, it had become a regular occurrence: he would stay with his boyfriend for a few days, three at most, then he would stay home for another few days, and then Haru would stay at Makoto's hose for a few days. It was a comfortable cycle.

It was in January that Nagisa chose to point it out.

"Are you actually dating now?" he asked Haru as they watched Makoto pondering over which brand of rice to buy. The question was out of the blue, but Haru wasn't too surprised, in fact he'd been expecting it to come far sooner.

"Yes." he said, like the answer was obvious, like Nagisa should know better than to ask.

The blond shook his head with a giggle, "It took you long enough. You two have been pining over each other since middle school."

Haru huffed indignantly, "We have not."

Nagisa bounced on the balls of his feet as he shook his head fondly, "Maybe you didn't see, but I did. There was a time when I thought you were even going to confess. Remember when we found the cove down at the beach?"

He did remember, "What does that have to do with anything?"

There was a glimmer in his friend's eye that he was beginning to think was not such a good thing, "I was exploring the cove whilst you and Mako-chan were trying to get that jellyfish back out to sea. You kept telling him it was already dead but he told you there was no way you could know that for sure." he paused and glanced at Makoto ,who had moved on to look at pre-made sauces, before continuing, "There was something about the way you were watching him try his best to get it back to the water, if I didn't know any better I would say you lo-"

The rest of his speech was muffled after Haru had abruptly slapped a quick hand over his mouth. There was a warning in his blue eyes that told the blond it wasn't something he should be saying. Nagisa's eye softened and the hand was removed, "Oh." he said simply. It was clear he though that their mild confessions had been dramatic and all at once. No, it would be too sudden for them both, they needed time.

"What were you two talking about?" Makoto smiled as he came over to drop some items in the shopping trolley. As usual, Nagisa was the one to cover it up with a grin on his face, "I was just telling Haru-chan that Rei-chan is going to join us later on, you don't mind do you?"

"Of course not, the more the merrier - it's not often we have the time to all get together." he replied.

Haruka wanted to grumble and complain about how Nagisa would always leave sweet-wrappers around the house whenever he came over, but the two had already fallen into a comfortable conversation, so he just pushed the trolley along behind them.

~

Rei had arrived a bit later than expected, babbling apologies and explaining that he had gotten enraptured in his studying. He was forgiven without hesitation and Makoto reminded him not to overwork himself.

Haru had hurried to hide his more inappropriate sketches from prying eyes, not because he would be embarrassed, but because he didn't think Makoto would appreciate it if his friends saw sketches of his bare chest and back in such detail. There were a few sketches of his toned legs too, glimpses that Haru had caught when they were swimming in the pool before they shifted.

Nagisa hadn't told Rei about their relationship, so when the two were acting "more couple-like than normal", as the blond so eloquently put it, there was brief session of congratulations followed by a lot of blushing on Makoto's part.

Soon, everything was in full swing - and by full swing it meant Nagisa was pestering everyone, Rei was furiously stating what  things in life he found most beautiful and why, Makoto was smiling and laughing at the other two's antics, and Haruka was content to just watch things unfold, supplying a comment here and there.

"You're more talkative today, Haru-chan!" the blond had pointed out. Normally this would have been troubling and Makoto would drag him away to ask what was wrong. But this time it was different. Now that he no longer had to harbor a secret love for his best friend, he could let go of some of the firm emotional walls that kept his feelings at bay.

"It's not a big deal." It was, but Haruka wouldn't let anyone know that, except Makoto, he knew already.

"I think it's great that you're being more open now." the blond chirped back, "Oh! I bet it's affected your art too, can we see Haru-chan? Pretty please?"

When faced with Nagisa's obnoxious pleading, there was only one thing he could really do...

The four of them filed down the hallway, Haruka first, followed by a bouncing and excited Nagisa, then a curious Rei, and finally Makoto. They reached the art room and Haru barely had time to tell them to be careful before the blond barreled in, gasping in that way of his that signaled the oncoming bombardment of cooing and hyperactive babbling.

The canvas was resting against the far side of the room, out of its easel whilst it wasn't being used. The dulcet tones of black, white and grey pooled at the base of the painting, it had begun like that - a careful piece; Haruka wasn't one to take risks with his art. But something changed when he continued painting on New Year's Day, soon there were splashes of emerald and forest green dotted here and there. The painting was slowly but surely coming to life. Although, he was still sure Makoto would reprimand him for drawing such a thing, even if they were the only ones that knew it wasn't fictional.

A broad green tail splayed across the canvas, and above was a lean and muscled body, arm stretched to reach a curious hand above the water. The more he painted, the more Haru surprised himself. He rarely drew in colour, and he rarely drew people; maybe this was his new style.

The deadline for the painting was in two days and , surprisingly, Haru wasn't nervous at all. In fact, he had total confidence that his painting would be loved. Maybe he'd even get a place in the University's art exhibit if his professor favoured it over the others.

"Wow..."

A collective gasp echoed from his three friends as they all entered the room. Their eyes were alight with awe and you could tell this was something they had not expected from the stoic and seemingly-emotionless Haruka.

"Beautiful." was murmured by Rei at some point, and Nagisa must have said something equally as praising but he didn't hear it: he was focused solely on Makoto, who had been rendered speechless even though his mouth had opened and closed several times, as if he was trying desperately to think of something to say that would be appropriate for something so amazing. So Haruka waited patiently for his response.

There was little else in the world that could take his breath away, even if Makoto was quite an excitable person. He'd seen a lot of amazing things, but what never failed to surprise and delight him was the absolutely stunning quality of Haruka's art. There was something about the way the theme of each painting was always on the edge of being too much, too overwhelming, yet there was something that kept it at bay and allowed people to revel in the simple beauty of it.

When he did speak, it was quiet and barely heard above the silence, "I don't know what to say Haru, this is..." he trailed off as it started to dawn on him exactly what, or who, the dark-haired boy had used as a reference. Haru caught the change in his expression and allowed himself a small laugh before Makoto inevitably started his outburst.

"Haru!" he whined, cheeks beginning to flush red, "I can't believe you. I feel so embarrassed!"

"Be glad I haven't shown you my sketchbook."

The honesty in that phrase made Makoto take his hands away from his face to look up at him; there was a glint in Haru's eye that made his expression look downright smug, it made him blush even more.

"Hey, that looks a bit like Makoto, doesn't it Rei-chan?"

They both froze.

Haruka wanted to curse for his lack of logic: he'd been so focused on his emotions and what they were telling him to paint that he had forgotten that some people might recognize his choice of model. He'd painted him in his merman form for crying out loud!

"I must say Haru, if this was meant to look like Makoto, you did a really good job." Rei chimed in. He and the blond were smiling at him, clearly unaffected by the fact that the Makoto in the painting had a _tail._

"Thanks." he replied weakly. His heart was hammering in his chest and creeping up into his throat, unwilling to calm down after the shock. He wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Maybe it was time to have that talk with Makoto - it was becoming painful to keep their second forms a secret for much longer, like he was slowly suffocating and there was nothing he could do about it. It was dangerous to risk exposure, it not only affected them but their families too: their lives were all on the line.

Makoto seemed to shake of the shock that had kept him standing rigid. He was the one to laugh nervously, "Is this your final piece Haru?" he asked.

"This is the one I'm handing in."

Nagisa beamed and began to excitedly babble on, saying things like, "Everyone will love it!" or "I can't believe how awesome it is!".

Sometimes Haruka was glad to have the friends that he does, now is one of those times.

~

The exhibit was smart and modern, walls of white and reflective floors of black were appropriate frames for each elegant piece. Some where hung on walls, some were on pedestals, the sculptures were on small bases and the interactive pieces had a room all to themselves.

It all felt so...adult, Haru had concluded. It made him feel giddy and he found himself shifting around in the group of students that were being talked to by the professor. Mrs Amakata was slightly harsh in her expectations and used weird sayings that never really made any sense to anyone but herself, but she knew exactly what to say to ease their worries. Haruka could see he wasn't the only one that was a bundle of nerves, one girl was constantly wringing her hands and fiddling with a loose thread on her panda-themed jumper. He could empathise: they each wore a small hand-made badge with their name and the number of their piece so that people could approach them and ask questions about their art.

Makoto, Nagisa and Rei would be arriving just before the exhibit opened to the public. He'd managed to convince them not come with him but only after a copious amount of promises, most relating to sweets or "free hugs". Makoto was slightly more...demanding; it took a lot to make Haru blush, but the things Makoto had him promising made his cheeks flare up cherry red. He didn't know his boyfriend had it in him to say such things without getting embarrassed, so to say he was looking forward to going home was an understatement as long as he could keep good on his promises.

Barely enough time had passed for him to mentally prepare when his friends were waving at him through the window. With a sigh he made his way outside, "You're a bit early." his eyes zeroed in on a sheepish Nagisa.

"Sorry Haru-chan, I really wanted to make sure we got here before anyone else." He didn't look sorry at all.

Haru was reluctant to do so but eventually led them inside. He thought idly, that maybe Nagisa would be a good sniffer dog - like the ones that you get at airports, as he quickly sought out Haru's painting which was a few rooms down from the entrance. Haruka approached with the other two and could hear Nagisa's squeals of how "pretty" it looked on its pedestal in the brightly-lit corner.

Rei provided a few points of improvement regarding the pedestal, something about how it would have looked nicer if it had looked like a Greek column. It wasn't unwelcome, but Haru was slightly sick of the word beautiful and he was sure it would be heard more when the exhibit opened up.

Someone cleared their throat behind them, and Haru glanced over his shoulder to see who the noise came from.

It was as if someone had forcefully pushed all of the air from his lungs. Breathlessly he tapped on Makoto's arm to get his attention.

Behind them stood a certain red-head in all his sharp-toothed glory, he had disappeared off to Australia as soon as they finished college and Haru was sure he would never see him again. They hadn't exactly parted on good terms.

"Rin..."

He was grinning, all of his bizarre teeth on show, and he looked considerably more tanned than he had been a year ago. It took all Haru could not to punch him in the face, yet at the same time he had a strong urge to hug him senseless.

"I thought you were in Australia for good." Makoto said beside him. A glance at his boyfriend told him he wasn't the only one with conflicted feelings over the whole situation, Makoto's eyebrows were furrowed and the corner of his lips turned down slightly.

Rin's expression dampened and suddenly became serious, "I got a call from a friend, I need to talk to you Haru." he said as he walked towards them.

It occurred to Haruka that Nagisa was silent behind them, a quick look told him that he had taken Rei to look elsewhere, obviously trying to avoid conflict.

"What could have possibly dragged you back here that was so important? Why didn't you just call?" The maliciousness in his voice wasn't intentional but Rin appeared unfazed by it.

"You're abusing your powers Haru, they haven't developed enough for you to be using-"

"Enough!" he interrupted harshly, "I don't want to hear this from you Rin! Do you remember what you did? Do you have any fucking idea what that did to me?!"

Beside him Makoto inhaled sharply, he could count the amount of times he had heard Haruka swear on one hand, so for him to swear now meant that he must be furious. It seems Rin had a similar opinion and was stunned into silence - Haru took this as his cue to carry on.

"It hurt so badly, there's no pain in the world that I can compare it to, and you left me there - bleeding out on the floor. There was so much blood Rin, I thought I was...I can't deal with blood anymore, every time I see it I remember you and your fucking smart idea! It took me weeks to recover, and you never once came to visit me. Then when I was finally well enough to leave the house I find out you up and left to Australia! Absolutely fucking fantastic, right?"

He was bordering on hysterical now, face heated in anger and fists clenched in poorly contained rage, so much so that Makoto was sure if it had been anyone else they would have took a swing at Rin after that sentence. But no, he carried on, eerily calm as if they were now in the eye of the storm.

"Now," Haru continued quietly, "You dare to lecture me on using my powers - the powers you nearly got me _killed_ with. What were you thinking? That everything was going to be all sunshine and rainbows?" he let out a cruel chuckle, "Don't be so naive Rin, you should have known it would be like this. I can't forgive you for what you did."

He barely caught it, the miniscule change in his expression, the way his body relaxed and his fists unclenched. Had it been a second later Makoto was sure all hell would have broken loose - he was quick to act, grabbing Haru's arm and angling himself directly between him and Rin: now that he was closer he could see the tendrils slowly snaking out from his pupils, turning the whites of his eyes charcoal black. Maybe he was too late, maybe Haru was too far gone for him to be able to interfere. But he had to try, for both of their sakes.

Makoto couldn't have been more thankful at that moment for Nagisa's ability to tell that the situation was going to turn sour; he didn't know what would happen if the blonde and Rei had stayed to witness this. What would it sound like to an outsider? A childish idea gone horribly wrong? Makoto still had nightmares about that night, he would watch the darkness rip his friend apart so that all he was left with were the bloody pieces to put back together. _Makoto_ was the one who had carried him, sobbing and trying not to stumble, through the empty streets in the dead of night. His parents were the only ones able to truly help his friend, all Makoto could do was stare down in horror at his blood-stained hands until someone was shaking his shoulder and dragging him to the bathroom when he wouldn't respond. He didn't want to see it again, he fought against the arms holding him when he realised where they were going. He was crying again, disgusting sobs and screams.

Makoto doesn't remember much more after he entered the bathroom that night. His parents say he was brave. Makoto just thinks they were being too optimistic.

Now it was like it was happening again, "Haru, stop! Please!" he cried out desperately. His eyes seemed demonic now, and Makoto didn't understand why: his powers only worked when blood was spilled but-

His head snapped down to Haru's open hands.

_No...Oh God no._

Blood dripped slowly from crescent shaped cuts his palms.

_This was deliberate._

"Please! God Haru, please! I can't do this again, please don't make me see it again."

He was shaking, he knew that much, but he didn't know whether from fear or panic.

There was no change in those black, unforgiving eyes even as Makoto slumped against him, forehead resting against forehead as his heart hammered unsteadily at his ribcage.

"Please..." he tried one last time. His voice was wavering, tears brimming his eyes already, "I can't lose you again..."

A single tear fell, a drop in a tiny puddle of blood on the floor, before it was followed by the rest.

He was crying freely now, uncaring that Rin was behind him, uncaring that he could easily be the one that ends up hurt, uncaring of _anything_ that wasn't Haruka.

It felt as if time had stopped around them whilst he stood there clutching at Haru's forearms for support - he was afraid he might just fall if he let go, or even worse, Rin could get hurt.

The streams of tears didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon, and Makoto was hiccuping through his gross sobbing when he felt it: suddenly a pair of arms were squeezing him tight and a racking shiver shook the body he was being held to.

He wanted to look so badly, he wanted to see if those black eyes were still there in that stone cold expression, but he was weak to the memories flooding through, the ones he had long since barred away in a far off corner of his mind. It was as if Haru had yanked them forward and the crushing force of them was destroying him bit by bit.

"Makoto," came a gentle voice, "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, please forgive me. I'm sorry."

Small, warm pressures in the form of lips were raining down over his face now: his cheeks, his nose, his forehead, his eyelids - each of them slowly easing a warmth into him and pushing back the terror in his mind. The murmured apologies continued until he was sure he could open his eyes. What he saw made him want to cry all over again.

Haru's eyes had cleared and bore an unmeasurable weight of sorrow and guilt, his lips trembling in a frown, and his face was pale, cheeks damp.

"I'm so sorry." he said again as a certain red-head walked into view to stand beside him.

_Nobody was hurt._

Makoto sagged into Haru with a watery smile, "It's okay." he said simply, because it _was_ okay this time: there were no screams or broken bodies to haunt him at night.

 _The calm after the storm,_ he thought before he dropped out of consciousness.

 

 

 

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

It could have been minutes, hours or days that he seemed to drift through the calm darkness. A thought fluttering forward sometimes to present him with a fond memory or something to do with the colour of Haru's eyes. Makoto didn't want to leave, if he could he would have gripped on to something, dug his nails in until they left him alone; but someone was pulling him away from his comforting world, speaking in murmurs that sounded distant and muffled. The words floated in eventually as he could feel himself coming to.

"-told you it would be fine Haru-chan, Mrs Amakata is a very reasonable woman."

"That's not what I'm worried about."

It looked like Makoto had caught the tail end of the conversation, so he sucked in a deep breath and forced himself back into the land of the conscious. Another voice piped up then, considerably closer than the others.

"Hey, sleeping beauty." they said gently.

Opening his eyes seemed to be a big mistake; directly above him was an obnoxiously bright light, and it burned his already-sore eyes. Groaning, Makoto brought his arm up to shield his face.

There was a scuffing of shoes that made him look to the side - the one that wasn't made up of an uncomfortable sofa.

Nagisa was the first one he spotted: the usually cheerful expression he carried was worn down but he was smiling weakly, possibly to comfort Makoto. That was a pointless effort though, because when he finally met Haru's demanding stare all of the memories of earlier decided to resurface like a slap in the face.

He felt a little embarrassed that he'd passed out like that. Looking back on it, the whole thing just seems liked a confrontation scene in a movie where the damsel swoops in to stop the two men fighting. Makoto didn't want to be the damsel right now, he wanted to be strong and brave and be there for both Rin and Haru - lord knows they both needed it.

He was sitting up before anyone could protest, although Rin's gentle hand darted out to his shoulder in a feeble attempt to stop him. The air in the room was thick with tension, Makoto knew they were all worried.

"How long was I out?" he asked, grinning sheepishly.

"Only a couple of minutes," Nagisa piped up with a returning grin.

You could literally feel the tension bleed from the room, and Haru let out a huff of air he'd probably been holding for a while. Makoto really wanted this whole dilemma sorted out, but there were more important things right now, like Haruka's exhibition.

The material of the sofa was rough against his hands as he pushed himself to his feet. He noticed Rei then, lingering by the doorway. He shot the nervous boy what he hoped was a reassuring smile, and it seemed to work because he visibly relaxed. Makoto was warmed though, he hadn't spent a lot of time with Rei and knew very little about him, and yet the boy was worried about him enough to stick around, or maybe it was to support Nagisa but either way it made Makoto's heart flutter.

Once he'd regained steady footing Haru seemed to jump to attention. He was fidgeting on the spot, fingers twitching like he wanted nothing more than to reach out for Makoto. So Makoto made it easy for him and closed the distance. Immediately there were hands gripping him tightly, bunched into the material of his shirt as Haru nuzzled into his neck.

They stood that way for a while, in silence, whilst Haru worked up the courage to say what he wanted to say. It came as a surprise to Makoto when he felt the wet heat of tears pooling, Haru wasn't shaking - or moving at all for that matter.

"Haru?" he said wearily.

The only reply was a sniffle and the splashes of tears seemed to halt as quick as they had begun.

Makoto was starting to feel guilty for fainting now, it had been years since he'd last seen Haru cry and it was killing him - squeezing his heart in painful palpitations.

Ever since they were young there had been an unspoken rule that Makoto was not to see Haruka's face when he cried, the smaller boy had told him it was embarrassing and he didn't want to show his weak side in front of his best friend. Makoto had been warmed by the confession at the time. But now, standing in the dim lighting, staring at the blank wall ahead of him, he wanted nothing more than to pull back and look into those eyes he'd seen turn black, the eyes he thought he'd lost again.

So he did. He stepped back from the embrace and tentatively brought his hands up to cup Haru's cheeks; they were soaked with tears, smeared across his face where he'd nestled into Makoto's neck, but it was still Haru, even if his eyes were tinged with sadness.

"It's okay Haru, it's okay." he murmured as his hand found his way to the necklace he'd been given. In return, Haru grasped his own with a watery smile.

For bystanders like Nagisa and Rei it was a simple reaffirming of friendship. But for Rin, who had sucked in a sharp breath when he saw the respective necklaces, there was a whole other side of the two that he had never seen before - neither of them had ever openly followed a merman tradition before now, so to see the scales resting against their collarbones was a huge surprise for Rin. Giving each other their scales was a _huge_ deal, almost like a promise ring that would eventually lead to an engagement ring.

It made Rin wonder how long it had been like this for the two mermen, whether this was something they decided together or whether they were surprises to each other. He was snapped out of his rambling thoughts when Mrs Amakata poked her head through the door.

"The exhibit will be starting soon boys." she reminded them before she hurried off once more.

The tensions in the room seemed to dissipate and everything began to get back on track, "Come on Haru-chan, you've got some art to show off!" Nagisa chirped. He stepped forward and promptly took charge of the situation by grabbing Haru's arm and tugging him out of the room. Rei was quick to pursue the eager blond, yelling after him to "slow down".

The others chuckled, relief swimming in the air, "We should probably follow them." Makoto said to Rin, "He's even more lively than when he was younger."

"God, that must be a bloody nightmare to deal with." Rin huffed in amusement.

"Trust me, it really is."

 

~

 

The exhibit was a roaring success: people came from all over Iwatobi to view the University students' art. By the end of the day Haruka was looking much akin to a cat who had gotten the cream - smug and extremely satisfied. His friends were a great help to him, when he got too anxious dealing with a member of the public they would step in and try and answer as many questions as they could before Haru had to take over again.

Makoto was perfectly fine after the whole ordeal, but Rin was a bit more careful about what he said to Haru just in case. After all, it was something that the trio weren't likely to forget anytime soon.

"You're coming to my house now, right Rei-chan?" Nagisa said as he bounced on the balls of his feet. 

"Uh, well, I don't have any plans but-"

"Great! We'll see you later guys!"

There were squawks of protest from the taller teen and the blonde waved as they disappeared around the corner.

"I'd say I'm surprised Nagisa grew up to be so...flirtatious, but I'm really not." Rin said, chuckling in amusement as he dragged his (obvious) crush away.

Makoto snorted in agreement, always amused by the two lovebirds. But as he stared at the empty space they left behind it became painfully obvious that the air had grown stagnant with tension.

A glance at Haruka, who was pointedly not looking at Rin, and a glance at Rin, who was pointedly not looking at Haru, confirmed his suspicion that this -whatever it was- wasn't going to be resolved without a lot of help. 

"Rin, do you have some time to take a walk with us?

 

 


End file.
